Highlights for December

Highlight of the month was a long awaited county first - 1st winter drake Lesser Scaup. Yet another excellent find by Graham Smith, it gave great views at Cosmeston commuting between East and West Lakes. Following hot on the heels of Ferruginous Duck and the still present Bearded Tit, Cosmeston Lakes is certainly producing the goods this winter. Waxwings finally reached Glamorgan with birds in both Brackla and Briton Ferry. The long standing Slavonian Grebe continued to perform well in Cardiff Bay, whilst a Snow Bunting at Rumney Great Wharf for a few days gave a few of us a nice Cardiff tick.

1st - Yellow browed Warbler Llangynwyd sewage works nr Maesteg. Water Pipit Merthyr Mawr

2nd - Bearded Tit Cosmeston
3rd - Cardiff Bay, Watermark: 2 lesser redpolls, Goldeneye, Chiff Chaff. Bearded Tit Cosmeston
4th - 2nd winter Ring-billed Gull Lamby Lake
5th - Bearded Tit Cosmeston
6th - Marsh Tit Barry , 2nd winter Ring-billed Gull Lamby Lake. Slavonian Grebe Cardiff Bay, Black Redstart (2) on barrage
7th - Cosmeston Bearded Tit and Ferruginous Duck still.
8th - Ferruginous Duck Cosmeston, Snow Bunting Werfa. Hen Harrier Mynydd Eglwysilan
9th - Lamby Lake - Ring-billed Gull, Cetti's Wbr(2), Water Rail (3) & Reed Bunting (1)
10th - Jack Snipe Lavernock Point
11th - 3 Green Sandpiper Faendre Reen, St Mellons. Snow Bunting Mynydd Eglwysilan
12th - Water Pipit Llwyn Onn
13th - Cardiff Bay – Chiff Chaff, 7 Redpolls, 2 Water Rail, Goldeneye,2 Scaup
14th - Cardiff Bay Chiff Chaff 2, Dipper 1, Slavonian Grebe. Lamby Lake - Ring-billed Gull and Cetti’s Warbler. Short-eared Owl and Water Pipit, Sluice Farm
17th - Waxwing, Brackla. Snow Bunting Rumney Great Wharf
18th - Snow Bunting, Short-eared Owl and Water Pipit Rumney Great Wharf
19th - Snow Bunting and Water Pipit Rumney Great Wharf, Ring-billed Gull Lamby Lake
20th - Slavonian Grebe and Black Redstart Cardiff Bay
21st - Peregrine and Med Gull Cosmeston
22nd - 1st winter Ring-billed Gull Swansea
24nd - Slavonian Grebe, Goosander and Black Redstart Cardiff Bay. Brent Goose (3) Penarth Head
25th - Water Pipit Llwyn Onn
26th - 1st winter drake Lesser Scaup and Bearded Tit Cosmeston. Ring-billed Gull Lamby Lake
27th - Lesser Scaup and Bearded Tit Cosmeston. 6 Waxwings Briton Ferry. Yellow-legged Gull (2) Cardiff Bay. Brent Goose Ogmore Estuary
28th - Lesser Scaup and Bearded Tit Cosmeston. Waxwings still Briton Ferry
30th - Lesser Scaup and Bearded Tit Cosmeston. Slavonian Grebe Cardiff Bay. 23 Redpolls Grangemoor Hill. Male hen Harrier Llangynwyd Massif, Maesteg. Jack Snipe Hendre Lake. Water Pipit Ogmore
31st - Dartford Warbler Kenfig Pool. Lesser Scaup and Bearded Tit Cosmeston

Highlights for November

Ring-billed Gull (now 2nd winter) returned to Lamby Lake at the beginning of the month, often coming to bread. Elsewhere, the Whooper Swan lingered on the Ogmore Estuary and was eventually joined by a second bird. Nantyffyllon produced a Yellow-browed Warbler whilst Cardiff Bay hosted a very showy Slavonian Grebe. A scattering of Black Redstarts were seen in the Bay and along the coast. However, mid month Wayne Strong struck gold at Cosmeston turning up both Ferruginous Duck and Bearded Tit in the same morning. The duck proved somewhat elusive often disappearing into the reeds. In stark contrast the Bearded Tit showed exceptionally well, providing photographers with some great photo opportunities often down to a few feet. Other good birds in month included Snow Buntings at Werfa, Nash Point and Ogmore-by-Sea, Richard’s Pipit near Cwn Nash, Firecrest and Woodlark at Lavernock Point, and several Water Pipits on the lower Ogmore River.

1st - Ring-billed Gull, Lamby Lake - all month. Whooper Swan and Med Gull Watermill

3rd - Merlin at Foel-y-Dyffryn, Maesteg

5th - Redpoll Bute Park. Brent Goose Aberthaw. Firecrest and Brambling Lavernock Point

6th - Yellow-browed Warbler Nantyffyllon

7th - Yellow-browed Warbler Nantyffyllon, Short-eared Owl Rumney Great Wharf

8th - Yellow-browed Warbler Nantyffyllon, Whooper Swan (2) Watermill

9th - Slavonian Grebe Cardiff Bay - all month

10th - Snow Bunting Ogmore-by-Sea

11th - Snow Bunting Ogmore-by-Sea, Yellow-browed Warbler Nantyffyllon

13th - Whooper Swan Watermill

14th - Woodlark, Lavernock Point, Water Pipit(2) Ogmore Estuary

15th - Ferruginous Duck and Bearded Tit (until month end) Cosmeston Lakes

16th - Short-eared Owl (3) Sluice Farm/Rumney Great Wharf

17th - Ferruginous Duck Cosmeston Lakes

18th - Ferruginous Duck Cosmeston Lakes, Black Redstart and Goldeneye Cardiff Bay, Eider Penarth Head, Snow Bunting Werfa

19th - Black Redstart Cardiff Bay Ice Rink, Whooper Swan still present Watermill, Chough (2) Southerndown

20th - Ferruginous Duck and Bearded Tit Cosmeston

21st - Whooper Swan & Green Sandpiper Watermill, Purple Sandpiper Ogmore-by-Sea

23rd - Ferruginous Duck and Bearded Tit Cosmeston

26th - Richard's Pipit Cwn Nash, Black Redstart Barrage, Redpoll Hendre Lake

28th - 8 Redpolls Watermark, Cardiff Bay

29th - Bearded Tit Cosmeston

30th - Black Redstart and Redpoll Watermark, Cardiff Bay